Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by JWK, Jan 1, 2024.

  1. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    You have got to wonder where all the tax money is going, we dont seem to have money for anything, unyet we have the highest tax burden since WW2.
     
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    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      I have just come off statins, and did speak with my GP to be sure it was safe before doing so.

      One of the issues I have is with my eyelids (droopy) and apparently it was discovered somewhere in the US that they can cause droopy eyelids - and this started when I was put on statins. There is something like a 35% chance of reversal when stopped, *if* they are proven to be the cause. In fairness to my GP, she was fantastic about it.
       
    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      A mate I used to work with was on statins for about five years and he was getting thinner and thinner, in the end, after finally getting sent to a London hospital he was told its a muscle wasting disease that had been made worse by the statins.
      The effects are irreversible.
       
    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      Debt and overburden.

      Take where I live. I am under Spelthorne Borough Council - they are responsible for street lighting, bins, parks, pavements etc - but roads, they are the responsibility of Surrey County Council. Now why do I need two levels of council?

      Think about it, as a rough guide at the minimum we have:

      - Income tax
      - VAT
      - Insurance Premium Tax
      - Fuel Duty
      - VED
      - Alcohol tax (if you partake)
      - Nicotine tax (if you partake)
      - Inheritance tax (if in the bracket)
      - National Insurance
      - Council tax

      Collection of each has a different department, and these are just the ones off the top of my head. Surely it would be easier to simply say that you can have £25k to yourself each year and then anything over that, we are taking 40% of it? The amount of tax raised would be surely broadly similar, without all the mechanisms required to collect it.

      Bin these two tier councils. Have a countrywide agreed standard for recycling, roads, street lighting and so on, instead of each council working to their own made up goalposts (that shift when they know they won't meet them)
       
    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      That is my worry, as the muscles in my face have been seen to be thinner than they should be on an MRI scan.
       
    • Punkdoc

      Punkdoc Super Gardener

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      upload_2024-4-4_12-9-9.jpeg

      But bear in mind, increased risk of heart attacks, strokes vs. droopy eyelids.
       
    • Jiffy

      Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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      When i had my medical for a HGV licence (long time ago) the doc put down that i had a heart condision then when i had to renew my licence another doc tick a box say again that i have a heart condision, i've never had a heart condision, i later found out that they were looking at someone else notes, 2 difference doc's my trust he things now are at zero
      Yes i did get my HGV licence but only after lots of hasle
       
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      • Loxley

        Loxley Gardener

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        Not all countries pay for their healthcare through taxation, so it could be that some countries have lower taxes while spending more per head on healthcare. But it has to be paid for somehow, and if not through taxation it will be through private insurance or out of pocket. The USA has that system and while taxes are probably lower, the healthcare insurance costs would have you on your knees begging for the NHS. You even have to pay for an ambulance if you have an accident and it is not cheap!
         
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          In fairness to the prescribing doctor originally, my cholesterol was high, my BP stupidly high, so they were the right thing to do. My diet back then was typical 'bus garage' fare (bacon, eggs, chips, curry etc) and to make matters worse all served up by an Irish lady who ran the canteen that knew me for many years and only ever wanted to 'make sure her lads were never hungry'.

          Now, it is an entirely different ballgame - I work from home 75% of the time and couldn't tell you the last time I ate anything from the works canteen. Fried foods is a rarity and much as I love an egg, it is two maybe three a week and even then not every week. Whereas I used to demolish a large meal and go looking for afters, now I couldn't even contemplate eating a plateful.
           
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          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            They had me down as allergic to penicillin - - never been allergic to it in my life, and proved it to my GP a couple of years ago when she agreed to prescribe amoxycillin for a raging chest infection. I was right as rain in around a week.
             
          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            Not really a moan, but a chuckle or sorts...

            At the weekend, after spending a day doing whatever and being somewhat broken, I ended up seeing an advert for grass seed, so I proceeded to go on and order some (admittedly, not paying much attention). It was one of those websites where you order the amount based upon the area you need to overseed and it would appear that I have confused feet with metres or something as 10kg of grass seed has arrived. My grass area can't be much more than 25 sq/m :heehee:
             
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            • Bluejayway

              Bluejayway Plantaholic

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            • Punkdoc

              Punkdoc Super Gardener

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              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                Absolutely - head gardener up for disciplinary later. :biggrin:
                 
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                • Fat Controller

                  Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                  I tried them for a while way back when - they did nothing for me at all.

                  In fairness, my BP is now in the 110-125/75-85 range, checked at home and also have one of those smart watches that tracks it too (still need to set it up properly though)
                   
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